Friday was a relatively quiet day, and we are still struggling for lions, but luckily the leopards are still keeping us entertained. The Sohebele pride’s tracks were followed into the neighbouring Klaserie reserve, so we will have to wait to see when they return, and a roaring male lion up on Argyle in the north managed to evade all the guides.
Argyle Jnr female leopard’s one son and her daughter, Shongile female leopard were seen feeding on a baboon on Argyle airstrip, and Shongile was later found wandering to the north near Vyboom dam wall. Godfrey also found Kuhanya female leopard wandering around near Mbali dam while he was watching thirteen hippo’s outside of the water – the cold weather helping us out in that regard!
We also had a nice herd of giraffe including two male giraffe’s having a fight, in addition to some kudu and impala, but I was dead keen on rhino, so went all the way to the south in the hope of getting lucky, but unfortunately tracked a female and her calf’s tracks off the property and into Klaserie. I did bump into two wild dogs on the Timbavati access road, but surprise, surprise, they also went into the Klaserie! Palence saw a couple of herds of elephants down on Vielmeter, and there were also some bull elephants back in the north.
The afternoon was a bit quieter, and besides some giraffe and other antelope, there was not much about. Godfrey had a herd of elephants near Mbali dam, and I saw a few elephants at a distance down the Nhlarulumi riverbed, and they were in the company of a couple of buffalo bulls. Around that same area we saw a herd of giraffe, a herd of waterbuck, some bush buck, and a pod of hippos. Minutes later as we approached Buffalo pan, we came across Argyle Jnr’s young male leopard cub who went and sat in a small thicket, but soon moved off and we relocated him lying in the open. Three giraffe then approached Buffalo pan and got the attention of the young leopard who lay flat on the ground and watched. My guests and I then watched in amazement as these three giraffes proceeded to move closer, slowly feeding as they went, and the first two moved within 4-5m of the leopard and didn’t see a thing – and he was lying on a game path in the open! The leopard remained motionless and then the third giraffe all but stepped on him it walked past so close. From our vantage point 20m away, the giraffe appeared to pass within 2m of the leopard and somehow did not see him! After the moved off, the leopard sat up, and we left him to go and have a drink.
Argyle Jnr female leopard’s one son and her daughter, Shongile female leopard were seen feeding on a baboon on Argyle airstrip, and Shongile was later found wandering to the north near Vyboom dam wall. Godfrey also found Kuhanya female leopard wandering around near Mbali dam while he was watching thirteen hippo’s outside of the water – the cold weather helping us out in that regard!
We also had a nice herd of giraffe including two male giraffe’s having a fight, in addition to some kudu and impala, but I was dead keen on rhino, so went all the way to the south in the hope of getting lucky, but unfortunately tracked a female and her calf’s tracks off the property and into Klaserie. I did bump into two wild dogs on the Timbavati access road, but surprise, surprise, they also went into the Klaserie! Palence saw a couple of herds of elephants down on Vielmeter, and there were also some bull elephants back in the north.
The afternoon was a bit quieter, and besides some giraffe and other antelope, there was not much about. Godfrey had a herd of elephants near Mbali dam, and I saw a few elephants at a distance down the Nhlarulumi riverbed, and they were in the company of a couple of buffalo bulls. Around that same area we saw a herd of giraffe, a herd of waterbuck, some bush buck, and a pod of hippos. Minutes later as we approached Buffalo pan, we came across Argyle Jnr’s young male leopard cub who went and sat in a small thicket, but soon moved off and we relocated him lying in the open. Three giraffe then approached Buffalo pan and got the attention of the young leopard who lay flat on the ground and watched. My guests and I then watched in amazement as these three giraffes proceeded to move closer, slowly feeding as they went, and the first two moved within 4-5m of the leopard and didn’t see a thing – and he was lying on a game path in the open! The leopard remained motionless and then the third giraffe all but stepped on him it walked past so close. From our vantage point 20m away, the giraffe appeared to pass within 2m of the leopard and somehow did not see him! After the moved off, the leopard sat up, and we left him to go and have a drink.
We did see another honey badger on the way home, but not a great deal else, and Godfrey ticked off a porcupine on our airstrip again. 
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